Nigo never set out to become Japan's hottest fashion designer or an internationally famous arbiter of style, or to show young people how to rebel without losing their cool. But the fact that he is now one of the most influential movers and shakers of his generation—given how little attention he paid to cram schools, university examinations and the meticulous career planning that are still adolescent obsessions in Japan—does not strike him as particularly odd, either. In fact, he sees his focus on his passions, rather than on society's expectations, as the secret of his success. "I never planned too far ahead," says the 33-year-old. Creator of Bathing Ape too.